Gone
by ShelleyGraceCobaltMirage
Summary: Nico has disappeared again. Is he gone for good this time?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dani took the key out of her pocket and slipped it into the front door of Nico's apartment. She turned it quietly and let herself in, thankful that he had given her the key, that he trusted her in his sanctuary. She left the door slightly ajar thinking her stay here wouldn't be that long. Walking across the polished wood floor she dropped the key onto the small wooden table, and rested her handbag against its carved leg. Slowly she made her way into the lounge room. She stopped in the centre of the room and turned about in an unhurried circle. While she couldn't see Onyx, she knew the cat was here somewhere, hiding most likely ready to pounce on her from above. That did seem to be its favourite pastime. After flicking her eyes towards the staircase, she let them settle on the floor, in front of the open fireplace and Nico's white plush rug. She kicked off her stiletto shoes and stepped onto the mat, letting her feet sink into the five centimetre long pile. She crouched down and ran her hand over the top of the rug, remembering how soft it had been the night they had made love on it. She straightened and walked out of the lounge, up the stairs and into Nico's bedroom. She loved that his bedroom hovered over his entire apartment and had a commanding view of the floor to ceiling glass windows that formed one wall of his lower floor. For a brief instant she thought she saw his body asleep under the covers as she entered. She blinked, and it was gone. She felt the lump in her throat tighten. I knew this was a bad idea, she thought.

It had been almost four weeks since Nico had disappeared, dropped down some Nico rabbit hole without a word. And as angry as she was that he had gone and disappeared, again, she missed him. She had not been to his office or his apartment since that day. Coming here, she knew would upset her, but when everything else had failed to comfort her, she returned hoping his space would offer her a reminder of him. It did. She was overwhelmed with images, memories, objects he had touched. She walked into his bathroom, and saw his aftershave on the counter. Opening the bottle she breathed the smell in deeply. Tears welled in her eyes. She tried to swallow them, blink them away, but her distress, her sorrow, controlled until now, threatened to show itself. The bottle slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. Fortunately it didn't break, but the contents began to pour onto the floor. Dani grabbed the bottle, and picked it up, saving only a small amount of the liquid. She began to cry gently as the spilled aftershave disappeared through the drain in the centre of the tiled floor. Now she had lost his scent. While it was strong at the moment, she knew it would soon evaporate, and she would have nothing left to physically remind her of him. His aftershave had been supposed to do that. She could always buy more, but it wouldn't be the same.

Every room held a certain memory, but it wasn't the same as a physical reminder. Every item evoked even more memories. Dani found it increasingly difficult to control herself, her composure threatening to crumble. She held onto the rim of the basin until her fingers hurt, her knuckles turned white with exertion, her head down.

Her tears began to fall more profusely, wetting the white tiles on the bathroom

floor. Dani fought to suppress the sobs that were erupting from deep within her. Her

chest hurt, her eyes blurred with tears, her legs gave out from under her. She collapsed

onto the bathroom floor. 'I didn't even get to say goodbye.' she sobbed, remembering he had text to tell her he needed to see her, and that she had been with a patient. He hadn't text or called her again after that. He hadn't answered any of her texts or calls either. 'How could you leave me,' she cried, her voice strained. 'You promised you'd always be there for me. We'd always have each other.'

Dani stood up, in an effort to compose herself once more. She went from the

bathroom, back into the bedroom. She saw his black satin robe. She remembered how deliciously Nico sexy he always looked in it, as he woke her, coffee in hand the morning after they had spent an incredible night together. Her tears started again. She walked over and buried her head in the robe as it hung from the door. The voice of reason in the back of her mind told her that she had been busy that day, but emotion drowned it out, she blamed herself. 'I'm sorry. I let you down.' She whispered into it. 'I never told you enough how I really felt. I didn't know…' Her crying increased, and she couldn't speak, her body shaking with the impact of each sob. She pulled the robe from the door and took it with her to the bed. She collapsed down onto the covers and held the robe tightly to her. After a moment she managed to stem the flow of tears. She smiled thinking of how Nico would laugh if he saw her like this. How he'd threaten to go away more often, just to have her pine after him. Her tears started again, running slowly down over her cheeks. He may never come back, she thought. There was a chance that she may never again would she feel his touch, see his smile. She wouldn't hear him laugh, see him pace the room contemplating something or someone, or have him pull her to him, in a stolen intimate moment at work. She tried to picture his face. His deep brown eyes, his dark, almost black hair, but as the picture began to form, her tears clouded over it. She wrapped her arms, and the robe about her body, trying to emulate Nico's loving embrace. An embrace she had taken for granted, and never fully appreciated. And now it was gone. He was gone. Maybe forever. She had nothing.

Dani fell into an exhausted sleep, her dreams proving to be just as torturous as reality. They reminded her of memories she had forgotten. They showed her Nico, within reaching distance, and then they snatched him away, leaving her alone in even her dreams. Tears ran down her cheeks as she slept.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nico approached the door to his apartment slowly, carefully as he noticed it was slightly ajar. While his building was one of the most secure in the city, he knew from experience, from doing what he did best, that stranger things could happen, and that someone disabling his security and breaking into his home was a very distinct possibility. Of course, so was the idea of his door being accidentally left open by his elderly neighbour was as tasked with feeding his cat. He prepared himself for either possibility. Holding his gun ready in one hand, he pushed the door completely open with the other. Seeing nothing he entered the foyer of his home. Lighting it up with the small torch he had as a key ring, he saw Dani's handbag leaning on the leg of his table. He relaxed, tucked the weapon back into the rear waistband of his jeans and walked into the lounge room. The beam of his torch fell onto her shoes, next to his rug. He smiled as he remembered how Dani had looked lying on the rug, the light from the open fire playing on her naked flesh, her smile one of promise and her eyes looking up at him, the colour of melted chocolate. He turned from the rug and made his way through the kitchen and up the stairs.

As he walked into his bedroom he saw her curled on the top of his bed, her arms entangled in his robe. He smiled, his eyes glistening with unfallen tears as he approached her. It was hard enough to be away from her for one day, he thought, but he had let her think he has left her, that he had cut her off, for nearly four weeks. It was nearly four weeks ago that he had last held her, kissed her, talked to her. It had nearly killed him. He could only imagine how it had affected her. He remembered the anger, the slap and the immense relief in her eyes when she first saw him after his last disappearance. It had been different then. The circumstances surrounding their separation had not been the most amicable. He had waited for her, but she hadn't waited for him. And despite all that, the angst, the disappointment, the unorthodox way they had been thrown back together, she had been happy to see him. He silently thanked Connor McLaine every day for forcing him to make that phone call. He had not wanted to. He had been adamant. The wound was still raw. But McLaine had been just as stubborn, insisting that V3 was the best, its clients the most sought after in their chosen fields and as such, they…no he needed the best people fixer in the industry. He wanted Doctor Danielle Santino, and as Nico was on his payroll, he was bound to do his bidding. It was one of the times he both loathed and admired just how persuasive McLaine really was. So he had called Doctor Santino. It wasn't long before they had settled into the comfortable working relationship they had had before he had left. It was even sooner than that that she had forced herself into his life again, despite his best efforts to keep her safely away from his heart. For whose safety he refused to consider. It was then that she had made him promise not to ever leave her like that again. And he had broken his promise.

Only when he was next to her, did his expression change to that of immense despair, as he saw her tear-stained cheeks, and her brow creased in sorrow. He heard her murmuring his name, and his chest hurt. It became increasingly difficult for him to swallow, to breathe. He leaned down and gently caressed her face. 'It won't be long now. I promise.' He whispered against her ear. He felt her move slightly, and he backed away until he was certain she was still asleep. 'Tomorrow' he said to her sleeping form before turning and walking from the room. It took all of his strength to leave her again.

2


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nico sat in his car off to the side of V3, just out of sight and waited for her to make an appearance. He needed to know that she had pulled herself together and was ready to face another day. The way he had seen her last night, after what he had done to her, he wasn't certain, but then he shook his head. This was Doctor Danielle Santino. She could face anything. He had seen her hold an entire football team together after TK's shooting. She had run on adrenalin and sheer force of will for days just making sure every other person kept going. She had refused to accept anyone's concern for her wellbeing. She had refused to stop until she knew everyone else was going to be ok. He had seen her go toe to toe with the great and powerful Marshall Pitman to protect those who she now saw as her flock, himself included in that number. She had stood up to hitmen passing themselves off as debt collectors, nursed her mother through a heart attack and despite whatever was going on in her own personal world, she always came through for her family, her friends and her clients. Never once had she dropped the ball, so to speak, when it was important. He knew now would be no different. She was his Danielle Santino after all. She was a force to be reckoned with and she had the strength to move mountains. She had moved him, and he had thought he would have been the hardest to move. He hoped she was still his Danielle Santino, that after this she would still be his.

He watched through the light rain as Dani came into view, rounding the corner just down the street from him. She walked straight passed where he was parked, so obviously caught up in her thoughts that she had not recognized his car. She had glanced in his direction briefly, as she pulled the coat tighter around herself. He saw no hint in her eyes that she had recognized him in his black coat, cap and beard. He was glad. He hadn't wanted to be reunited with her like that. He wanted it to be special. He had it all planned.

When Dani woke that morning she had been physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Her ordeal the previous night had left her numb. The sorrow and despair had gone and what replaced it was nothing. She felt nothing. She didn't think she was capable of absolutely nothing.

She had thought that the events of today's meeting- having had to sit there and listen to Troy blame Nico for everything wrong at V3, for the FBI raid, the hacking, the lower than usual Christmas bonuses. He would have blamed the fall of Communism in the Soviet Union, global warming and the poor box office performance of Jupiter Ascending on Nico too if he had thought he could have gotten away with it- would have tested her emotional control. She owed Nico emotion. He had earned it, but she owed it to herself to remain in control, stable, unresponsive throughout Troy's character assassination of her methods and her association with the, how exactly was it worded again, slightly shady, untrustworthy, unreliable, unprofessional security director of V3. She knew now, that she was no longer able to express emotion. Her ability to feel anything but contempt for V3 and its bosses had disappeared with Nico. She shook her head remembering. She smiled slightly, sadly as she tried to imagine Nico's reaction to this defamation on his return. And he would return. He had to return. She refused to believe in the possibility that he might not be alive. This was Nico they were talking about. The man who could pop up and scare her in a building completely made of glass. The man who solved everyone's problems. The man who made unfortunate situations simply disappear. The man who could vanish from sight, despite all known and convert methods of tracking and then reappear having sorted yet another problem. It was what made Nico exceptionally good at his job, a little too good at times Dani thought. Maybe one of the many 'situations' he had disappeared was back for vengeance, she thought. You don't do what Nico does without making enemies. She shook her head again, attempting to clear the direction her thoughts were heading. She had to believe Nico was still alive, that he would come back to her. But right now, it was difficult to keep hope. Right now she was starting to think the others were right, that he wasn't coming back. That her instincts had been wrong. It had been four weeks. One month since she had last talked to him. And missing him was nearly killing her.

Dani walked into her apartment, drew the curtains closed and headed in the

direction of the shower. She had left work after the meeting. She had given strict instructions to Paloma that she not be disturbed. She didn't even care if the other agents and assistants knew or suspected that she was closer to Nico than she had previously admitted. Not even after all the horrible lies Troy had said. She left the lights off in her house, preferring darkness to accompany the solitude she had elected.

Dani peeled off her black suit and the black overcoat she had taken from

Nico's house that morning, and stepped in under the stream of water. Only once the hot

water had begun to soothe her was she able to process the events of the day fully.

After she had left Nico's she had driven across town to her own apartment, where

she had dressed for the day ahead. Then she had driven to V3. It had been raining and as usual, there are been no close parking spots for her outside V3. She hadn't proved herself invaluable enough to receive a reserved employee spot, Troy had told her a few weeks back. It just added to the bleakness of the day really. She remembered the meeting. She remembered the terrible things Troy had said. She remembered wanting to ram her fist into his face, but she didn't have the energy. Maybe she wasn't as emotionally barren as she had thought she was. What she remembered most from the day, other than waking alone on Nico's bed without the smell of coffee wafting about her, was the conversation she had had with Connor McLaine. She remembered hearing him tell her that the finalisation date had been pushed forward. Things were moving ahead, and that she of all people should know that V3 doesn't stand still, even for the disappearance of an important man, like Nico Careles. That she had things to do to assist this time change. She replayed his words. 'Pull yourself together Santino. You've got bigger things to worry about than that sneaky, selfish son of a bitch. Am I right or am I right?'

.

She had remembered glaring at him, narrowing her eyes and telling him that she was all too aware of V3's lack of ethics, which was why she had already submitted the report on the situation, and a list of possible solutions. Everything he had asked of her. She blushed as she remembered what she had said next. She had turned to him and hissed at him, 'My friend, your employee is missing and all you can think of is how this affects V3. I thought you were different than the rest of these people. Than Troy. I thought you were the agent that cared for his V3 family' she had spat that word out, 'or was that a lie too, perfectly spun for publicity?' She blushed again, remembering how he had touched her lightly on the shoulder and apologised. She too had apologised, knowing it was wrong for her to take out her frustrations on him. She was glad Connor had understood. She was also relieved that he had suggested she go and spend the evening recovering for tomorrow. As Connor had reminded her, V3, her world now stopped for no one.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As he pulled around the corner and into the driveway he noticed the house was completely dark. His eyes darted to the garage where he could distinctly make out the shape of her car through the side window. Good, she is home, he thought before climbing from his driver's side door. He closed it, ensuring he made no sound other than the soft beep as he keyed the doors locked, the flash of the lights briefly illuminating his face, causing him to squint. He made his way down the path, to the rear of her house and the discreet door she had for her office, for her patients. He chose that one for a reason. He needed privacy to do what he was about to do.

Once he arrived at the door, he pulled his lock picking equipment from his coat pocket. He lined up the tension tool and was about to insert the pick when suddenly he chuckled to himself. He remove the tools and pocketed them again, before slipping his dog tags from his left trouser pocket, he spread them flat in his palm. He looked at the two identical black special-forces tags he had worn during his Sea Air &amp; Land (SEALs) days. He knew they contained, like all military identifications tags, his last name, first name, and middle initial. He smiled, knowing she would have a field day if she ever discovered his full identity. He thought she would probably like Dominic, and he knew she would undoubtedly question what the A stood for. He smiled again as he realised, he wouldn't tell her immediately, and she would resort to threatening to torture him, and it would be such sweet torture, that unlike during his SEALs days he would cave and tell her anything and everything she wanted to know, possibly even more. He wasn't so sure of just exactly she would take to Ambrosio, most likely she would tease him about it being the nectar of the gods from her Italian heritage. She would be close in that it was Spanish for immortal, and it was immortality that ambrosia gave to the gods, but to him, it was simply a link to his paternal grandfather. Nothing more, nothing less. He wondered what the therapist part of her would make of his dismissal of his ancestry.

Under his name was listed his Social Security number with no dashes or spaces followed immediately by "USN", United States Navy. Only the black color of his tags identified him as special forces. His tags also contained his blood group, which had proved extremely useful, even in his current line of work. And they stated that his religion was Catholic. Not that he practiced. The closest he got to worship was using Jesus' name in vain, to curse and berate, or the not so holy use of the word God when she touched him a certain way, the feel of her tongue, the heat from her mouth, the bite of her fingers nails drew the proclamation from his lips, in worship of her, not some higher power.

Of course, it wasn't his tags he was interested in. It was the key that hung between them.

The one she had given him when she had grown tired of having the breaking and entering discussion. He remembered the day she had given it to him, or rather, let him earn it. T had cost him dinner, dancing a night of intense passion and the answer to five questions she had obviously thought long and hard about. She had worded them in such a way he had no choice but to answer in complete and total honesty. He had found the key when he had removed her bra. It had fallen to the floor with a clatter. It wasn't until he had retrieved it that he had realized exactly what she had given him, the key to her house and to her heart.

He let himself quietly into the darkened house and took a moment to pause by the door, listening for any indication of where he might find her. He heard the shower running, directly overhead and decided to surprise her by waiting in her bedroom, as clearly she as in the ensuite off her bedroom. He climbed the stairs, walked down the hallway, entered the bedroom and seated himself on the bed, resting his back against the pillows near the frame. He closed his eyes and waited for her to emerge. His wait was brought to an end when he heard the water shut off, and moments later saw her step through the doorway and enter the room. He remained concealed in the darkness.

Dani crossed the room, and as she reached the head of the bed she felt around, located the light switch and flicked it on. She was stopped in her tracks as she saw a bearded man seated on her bed, is face inches from her own, his dark brown eyes looking intensely at her. 'Nico?' she whispered, recognizing him, her disbelief evident in her voice. He shook his head in agreement. 'Nico.' She sat down next to him on the bed and touched his chest. He smiled. She leant forward and kissed him passionately. She then withdrew, reeling back and slapped him hard across the face. It was only the second time he had let anyone slap him. I have let her slap me twice, he thought, knowing both times he had deserved it and she had earned the right. 'How could you do that to me?' she stated, angrily, turning away and covering her face with her hands. 'How could you?'

Nico sat upright, turned her back to face him, and took her in his arms. He could see the silent tears that coursed down her cheeks. He reached out his hands, gently wiping them, his fingers wrapping around her face, his thumbs brushing the tears from her cheeks. He kissed her gently on the forehead, before holding her tighter. 'I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. I tried to, but once it happened, it all happened so quickly. There wasn't another opportunity. I needed them not to know about you. It was the only way I knew how to protect you. I needed to know you were safe to achieve what I did. I will tell you everything I promise. I am sorry.' He whispered, against her hair. He lay back, taking her with him. He stroked her back as he held her.

For a moment, Dani lay content in his arms, but then she grew restless. She straightened and looked deep into his eyes. 'Please' her eyes searched his, silently imploring him, pulling at his heart. 'Don't do that again.' She said softly.

'What?' he asked, his eyes twinkling. 'Stroke your back?'

'Leave me.' She squinted at him before she quickly straddled his legs in one movement, and wrapped her arms about his neck.

He ran his hands up and down her sides. 'Never again. I promise.' He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She didn't draw away, so he deepened his assault on her mouth. She parted her lips under his mouth, and let his tongue probe hers. Suddenly she pulled away, pushing on his chest. 'What?' He was confused and concerned by her sudden withdrawal. He directed his gaze at hers, afraid of what he might find there. Afraid he would see doubt, sadness, anger. He was shocked to see her amused gaze levelled at him.

'I haven't kissed you with a beard before.' She laughed.

'You don't like it?' No sooner had she shook her head, she found herself flat on her back, beside him. Nico held her wrists down beside her head, and rubbed his bearded chin over her shoulders, up her neck, and down her chest. She squirmed, laughing under his attack. 'You like it now?' he said tickling her neck with it. He felt her shake her head again, and sat up. 'Alright. You win. I'll shave it off.' He climbed off her and stood up. She sat upright and watched him. He leant down and kissed her quickly.

'Miss me?' he asked.

'No.' Dani smiled, but tears welled up in her eyes again.

He gently rubbed his thumb over her jaw. 'Figures.' He turned and walked into the bathroom.

After a moment Dani followed, not wanting to have him out of her sight. She leant on the doorframe and watched as he shaved. She willed the towel he had wrapped around his hips to fall to the floor. He looked up and caught her eye in the mirror. He smiled, and Dani's heart melted. 'I love you' she whispered, before the urge to cry overcame her composure and she retreated into the bedroom.

When Nico entered the bedroom, dressed in his black pants and belt, he had been intending to suggest he take Dani out to dinner, to tell her everything that knew she needed, that she wanted to know. Instead as he entered the room she took him in her arms and kissed him. All thoughts of his dinner abandoned him as she turned him around and manoeuvred him backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed, and he fell unceremoniously onto it. She remained standing, keeping her eyes focused on his. She slid her hands over her shoulders, taking the straps of her silk negligee down her arms. She dropped the garment onto the floor, and stepped out of the pool of silk it made at her feet. She walked slowly towards Nico, kneeling on the bed in front of him. He reached out to touch her, but she pushed his hands away. She pushed him backwards on the bed, until he was lying down and straddled him. 'Don't move your hands.' She said, pushing them down next to his body. She rested her knees over them, attempting to trap them between herself and his body. She drew her finger down the centre of his chest, before she leant forward and kissed him passionately. He couldn't remain passive, so he pulled her closer to him, her knees resting in his armpits, his hands on her thighs. His thumbs stroked at the insides of her legs, and her hair, where it fell over her shoulder, tickled his skin as Dani set about nibbling his throat. She moved across to his ear, and began sucking on his earlobe. He laughed softly under her ministrations, wondering how he could ever have let her believe he had left her, forgotten about her.

Nico felt all the blood in his body rush to his penis as Dani began licking at his nipples, and kissing his stomach. He tried to reach in front of her to undo his belt. She moved her body and sat on his hands, preventing him from removing his trousers, but allowing him to see that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. It was a ploy she used to tell him to be patient, without having to say the words. It worked, and he released his grip on his belt.

Dani then lifted herself up and moved further down his body, to sit just below his knees. She leaned forward unfastened the buckle and slowly removed his belt, pulling it through the tabs of his trousers, before dropping it on the floor beside the bed. Next she unbuckled his trousers. Tugging gently at the leg of them, she eased them down his body and off over his feet, manoeuvring under herself as well as over his body. He heard the thud as they hit the floor at the end of the bed. His tags, he knew had made the sound. She looked at his erect organ and smiled, one eyebrow raised. 'I take it you missed me.' She stated, her voice teasing and soothing at the same time. He nodded.

'Good.' She said as she made her way slowly up his body again to take him into her. The sensation brought the word God gasping from his lips, his eyes closing in exquisite agony as she began to move up and down on him, so slowly that he thought he might die from the most pleasurable torture he had ever experienced. She rotated her hips slowly and clenched her internal muscles about him. He knew if she kept this up, if he remained passive as she had directed it would be the death of him. He could think of far worse ways to die, he decided as he watched her face, she was chewing her bottom lip in concentration, her eyes the color of liquid chocolate that he loved so very much. His hands found their way to her breasts and he began to stroke each one, working around and over the nipple with his thumb, in an attempt to further stimulate her.

Dani moaned softly as he lifted himself up and took her left breast into his mouth, pulling the nipple between his teethe to both tease and suck. He laughed against her flesh, the sensation causing her to shiver violently. He slid his hand up her back and held her neck, his fingers wrapping around the base of her head, and entangling in her mahogany hair. He could feel the hair at her nape beginning to dampen. He rolled their bodies, to change positions. He shifted his arms so that they were under her shoulders, and cupping her head. He kissed her tenderly, keeping the soft, gentle, loving pace she had initiated. More than anything he wanted to make this reunion as long and wonderful as humanly possible. He placed feather-light kisses on her forehead, across her nose, down her jaw, and back to her lips. He lifted himself up, and looked at her, his eyes glowing with adoration, and love. Dani smiled at him, as her eyes filled with tears again. They overflowed, and ran down her cheeks. He leant down and kissed them away, before straightening to look at her again. 'Are you always going to cry when you see me?' he whispered softly.

She smiled again, and lowered her eyes so as not to meet his. He pulled his right hand from under her head, and gently lifted her chin with his finger, directing her eyes back to his. 'Tears are nothing to be ashamed of.' he said, getting her to look at him again. 'I like that I mean this much to you. I was just thinking that if you do cry every time you see me, it's going to be difficult keeping this relationship secret.' He leant down and kissed her again.

'Nico,' she stated when he withdrew again, her voice beginning to choke with tears. 'I… her voice faltered.

'I know.' he said, softly, leaning in and nuzzling against her throat.

'No. You don't. I've said the words, but I haven't really told you how I feel about you.' He straightened at her words, and rolled again to pull her onto him. She rested her hands on his chest. She moved her fingertips against his skin where they were just touching his collarbone, and the base of his throat. 'I need you. I thought I'd finally worked out how to go it on my own, take care of myself and my kids and not depend on anyone. Not need anyone. I'm supposed to be this strong, independent woman. But I'm not. It scares me that I need you and care about you so much. But I do. I can't deny that anymore. Do you know what I did last night? I slept wrapped in your bathrobe, and cried my eyes out.'

'You also spilled my aftershave.' He said.

'What? How?' Dani shook her head, her eyes widened.

'I saw you. Last night. I came home and saw you.'

Dani stopped, tensing against him. 'What? Why didn't you wake me?'

'I almost did. It broke my heart to see you like that. The hardest thing I've ever had to do was walk out of that room last night.'

'I always thought I'd regret the things I've said and done. But it's what I haven't that's…' her sentence was interrupted as Dani fought to hold back her tears again. Nico lifted his head from the pillow and kissed her tenderly. She ran her hands through his hair, catching the dark strands in her fingers. She began to move her hips against his again speeding up what they had begun earlier.

Nico rolled Dani onto her back and pressed his head into her chest. His face rested between her breasts and he could smell her perfume. He ran his tongue across her skin and up her throat to her mouth. He kissed her and pounded within her, trying to comfort her with his actions, as well as his presence. His mind was reeling at the knowledge that she truly loved him, enough to lose herself in endless hours of sobbing, to let herself into his house to be near his possessions. He felt tears well in his own eyes as he realized she loved him as much as he loved her. That he too would be lost without her. They complemented each other perfectly. He felt his own tears run down his cheeks, and disappear into her hair. He laughed softly, causing her to look up at him. She smiled seeing his tears.

'Don't tell me you've gone soft? I need you to be strong. Especially when I can't be.' She whispered.

'Quite a pair, aren't we?'

Dani nodded before sliding her hands down his back to clutch his behind. 'Enough of this feeling sorry for ourselves. Move it.'

Nico laughed, his breath tickling her throat, his hands gently running down her sides, and over her breasts. He was glad that some things never changed. Her readiness to order him to action for one. To comply he began to increase the momentum. He pushed himself deeper into her, his hands stroked at her breasts, and his lips kissed hers. He could feel her breath quickening, her chest rising and falling against his as they worked closer and closer to achieving release. He felt himself reach his peak, and could not control his own orgasm. He shuddered, his body convulsing. As his own tremors subsided he felt Dani coming out of hers. He knew that she had achieved the same desired result as he, while he had his. Knowing she had climaxed also, gave him great satisfaction. He rolled them over, and she rested her head on his chest, as their breathing began to slow.

'Nico. I know there are lots of things you can't tell me, but can you tell me if it's over?' She asked softly, stroking her hand through the soft hair that lightly covered his well-muscled chest.

'I will tell you everything tomorrow. But for right now, just know I took care of it. It's done. I had to be certain that there were no lose ends. I didn't want anything endangering you. If something ever happened to you, because of me…' he paused, 'well, I couldn't live with that.' Nico responded, holding her tighter to him.

Dani sighed contentedly against his chest, snuggling deeper into his embrace. 'Promise me you won't leave again.' She whispered.

'I promise.' He said before kissing the top of her head. 'I have an idea. I have to go to Pittsburgh for my father's birthday. You should come.'

'I can't. After my less than all performance over the last few weeks, and how I insulted Connor, I'm pretty sure I have exhausted all favors owing fromV3. ' Dani stated.

'I talked to him this morning.' Nico rolled over, to lie looking down at her, still holding her tightly in his arms. 'Pittsburgh. You can and you will.' He ordered.

'No, really…'

Nico interrupted her. 'I already organised it. I even cleared it with McLaine. We'll catch the late flight, stay the weekend, and be back Sunday night. You'll only miss a few hours. Surely you can spare that, for me.' Nico stressed for me, trying to guilt her into agreeing. He saw her eyes well up with tears, and he pulled her closer. 'I'm sorry.'

'No. I'm sorry.' She whispered against his throat, as she buried her face into his neck. 'You're right. I will come with you.' She looked back up at him and he saw her eyes now held an expression he was familiar with, the one that told him she was thinking, thinking about something that would end in trouble for him. 'I would love to meet your family.' She continued, one eyebrow raised. 'Just think of all the things I can learn about you.' She smiled widely at him.

'Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.' He smiled back. 'I changed my mind.'

'Too late Mister, I'm definitely coming with you.' She gently poked his chest as if to emphasize her decision.

'I'm glad.' Nico kissed her again, softly. 'When we come back, and I go back to V3, let's pretend we've always been together, that our relationship has never been secret. No more acting or sneaking around.' He felt Dani nod, against him, in agreement. He smiled. 'No more secrets.'

'I'm holding you to the no more sneaking around statement.' She smiled up at him.

'I never said no more sneaking up and surprising my girlfriend.' His eyes twinkled, amusement shining in his eyes as she glared at him.

'Semantics.' She stated, hoping her squint wasn't giving away her true feelings.

'You love it.' He placed a kiss against her lips.

She pulled away slight, giving herself just enough room to whisper against his lips 'No, I love you' before she pressed more firmly against him, letting her kiss speak all the words she wanted to say.

TBC…


End file.
